Patient Tips

Use our app to remind you to take your vitamins! Keep a bottle at home on the bench and one one your desk at work Don't leave them in the car in warmer months when temps are above 25 degrees

Supplement at Meal times

Take your supps with your meal or soon after. Chewing and swallowing food, gets your body ready to digest and absorb nutrients so this is the best time to supplement Fat-soluble A,D,E,K need the little bit of fat to help them be absorbed - use good fats like avocado, olive oil, or oily fish where possible

Just after surgery, if chewing vitamins is not your thing, you can try the capsules split open into a teaspoon of yoghurt or applesauce or mix it in a smoothie Your dietitian will tell you when you can swallow them whole

Want to mix up your supplements?

There is nothing wrong with taking your multivitamin in a capsule form and your calcium in a chewable form or vice versa. Or you can take chewable multi one month, and capsules and Chewable calcium the next

Read Food Labels.

When Shopping, take a look at the back label on the product. The front label is to sell you the product - the back is the facts. Watch out for 'low fat' it often means high sugar. Fat is not the enemy - sugar is!

Eating Out

Fast food survival - A big problem with fast food is that many innocent-looking nuggets and patties are loaded with added fats, flavorful chemicals, and high-fructose corn syrup, which wreak havoc on your blood sugar levels. Even a standard burger whilst it looks like to pieces of bread with a bit of meat and salad can contain waaaaay more fat and calories than you would expect if you made the same thing at home! A simple meat and salad sandwich/plate is a good go to. Or kebab plate in a kids size with a good serve of chicken - don't touch the lamb or the beef its laden with fat you don't need. Burrito bowl is a good option too as it has good proteins, salad and you can leave what you cant manage to take home for another meal.

Learn to dismantle your food. Ask if you can substitute the grilled chicken breast for the crumber chicken breast, wholemeal/rye bread for white bread, lettuce cups for buns, or ask for extra veggies. Ask for salsa or mustard instead of dressings and sauces you don't know what they contain.. Don't be afraid to ask for what you need. If anyone gives you any problem, claim a severe food allergy. They'll usually get over the attitude and become very helpful.You are paying, so you have a right to choose what works for you- so don't apologise, keep your eye on your end game!

General Guidelines

Don't store tempting foods at home thinking you'll just have them now and then! If you are craving something, and you have to make a concerted effort to go and get it - chances are, the craving will pass!

Don't talk on the phone, read, or watch TV in the kitchen (or any other place that food is stored).

Serve all meals in the kitchen, no platters on the table. If you really want seconds, wait 20 min, and then see if you still feel the need. Often, your body is just registering that you have eaten 20 min after you started, so seconds should be left till later when you can see if you really are still hungry, or just the food is so yummy!!

Eat and don't be afraid of food. It may sound crazy to those trying to lose weight by severely restricting their daily caloric intake, but the problem with this old school of thought is that not eating actually slows metabolism. Every cell of the body is like a flashlight bulb. When our bodies don't get enough food or fuel, every cell burns less brightly. Recent studies show that eating smaller meals every three to four hours aids metabolism and weight loss.

Cravings behave like waves: they build, crest, and disappear. If you can "surf the urge," you have a better chance of beating it all together. Studies also show that music helps in beating back the craving wave. Upbeat music seems to work the best, so crank up the stereo!

Exercise

Get a pedometer and start tracking your steps. Average your steps over one week, then make small increases. Try increasing your average by 500 steps per day for the next week to increase your activity. Work towards 10,000 steps per day. For example, if your average is 3,000 steps per day, then aim for 3,500 steps per day next week and then 4,000 steps per day the week after that.

Do you find walking boring? Take someone along with you or get a dog. If your lifestyle does not allow for you to keep a dog, borrow a neighbour's dog or visit a humane society once a week and offer to walk some dogs. They are great walking companions. If your joints will not tolerate walking, try a recumbent bike or get in a pool.

If you don't want to join a gym, or local pool to swim/water walk, then check with your local hotel. Many have indoor swimming pools and you may be able to work something out with hotel management where they may let you swim/water walk, for a small fee.